One of the difficulties a user faces when engaging in electronic commerce, for example, from an online marketplace or a web site, is that the user typically has limited contact with online entities. Consequently, the user of electronic commerce often has difficulty knowing or understanding the trustworthiness of an online entity with which the user may wish to do business. This situation is far different from a standard “bricks and mortar” establishment with which a potential customer can have far more contact and in whom the potential customer can more readily judge the establishment's reputation and character.
In an attempt to address this problem, some organizations have established “seals of certification” programs. Under such programs, an online entity may qualify for and receive a seal of certification. The online entity may then display the seal of certification in conjunction with the online entity's electronic commerce.
However, such seals are often misused since they often are not unique to the online entity and are static, i.e., not changing over time. The integrity of such seals can be violated simply by an unscrupulous online entity copying a bitmap of the seal of certification and using the bitmap in conjunction with the electronic commerce of a different online entity.
Thus, a user's confidence in a seal of certification can be rightly misplaced. There is needed a seal of certification program which has the integrity to maintain the trust from users of electronic commerce.